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Gossen Luna-Pro Battery insertion
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Nov 18, 2021 21:22:35   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
https://www.butkus.org/chinon/flashes_meters/luna-pro_sbc/Luna-pro_sbc.pdf

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/mercury_replacement_batteries.htmlhttp://

www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/batteries.html

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/flashes_meters/lunasix3/lunasix3.htm

The Luna PRO meter requires a 9 Volt battery- See excerpt from the manual attached. The Luna-Six Meter takes a button battery but the original mercury battery is no longer available. There are conversions and replacement instructions in the links above.

Unless their ar were design changes in the Luna-Pro model, you may have mistaken the PRO for the SIX.

If you accidentally reverse the polarity of the battery, I don't think that will damage the meter- it just won't respond. I would, however, check with the manufacturer or distributor- both of which are still in business, This is their international website.

https://gossen-photo.de/en/application-areas-photo/
https://www.butkus.org/chinon/flashes_meters/luna-... (show quote)


Actually, the Luna Six and the early Luna Pro takes two PX625 Mercury batteries. The LunaPro SBC takes a standard 9 volt battery - I owned an LunaSix, and still have a Luna Pro and a Luna Pro SBC. Luna Pro on the left, SBC on the right.

.


(Download)

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Nov 19, 2021 05:58:06   #
OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey
 
OnDSnap wrote:
Positive side is always the side with the bump/ hump, or smaller diameter. Side with lettering is negative.


Woops, I screwed up...reverse what I said. Thanks for correcting me, I didn't have one and was going on my crap memory.

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Nov 19, 2021 10:19:49   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
copladocus wrote:
Need some help. I just picked up the above light meter in a box of camera equipment at one of our auctions. It looks like it is in great condition. I found 1.35 volt batteries at B&H and they will fit. However, looking at the diagram for inserting the batteries it does not indicate which side is the positive side. The new batteries are not exactly the same profile as the originals depicted in the diagram. I have searched the internet and even downloaded and READ the Gossen manual and nowhere does it tell me, literally, which side is up. As this is a fine instrument I don't want to potentially ruin the electronics by inserting the batteries the wrong way. So my one and only question, does the positive terminal face the removable screw plug or do they face down into the well of the battery compartment? Thanks ahead.
Need some help. I just picked up the above light ... (show quote)


I was a bit puzzled, at first. My Gossen Luna Pro SBC uses a 9-Volt "transistor radio" battery such as an MN 1604 or IEC 6F 22 or 6LR61 or 006P. Other industry names for the 9V battery can be A1604, 522, 4922, MX2400, MX 1604, or 1604A! I used Gossen Luna Pro F meters years ago. They also use those same 9-Volt batteries.

Apparently, all the CDS cell meters use button cells. The usual orientation of button cells is positive (+) side up towards the lid of the battery compartment. Most button cell battery compartments are marked with a + on the inside of the lid.

I did find this site, which may have some relevant answers. https://gossen-photo.de/en/ersatz-fuer-quecksilberoxid-batterie-v625px/

The main issue seems to be with devices manufactured without voltage regulation devices in them. They need adapters to work properly with alkaline cells in bright light.

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Nov 19, 2021 10:31:59   #
BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA
 
copladocus wrote:
Need some help. I just picked up the above light meter in a box of camera equipment at one of our auctions. It looks like it is in great condition. I found 1.35 volt batteries at B&H and they will fit. However, looking at the diagram for inserting the batteries it does not indicate which side is the positive side. The new batteries are not exactly the same profile as the originals depicted in the diagram. I have searched the internet and even downloaded and READ the Gossen manual and nowhere does it tell me, literally, which side is up. As this is a fine instrument I don't want to potentially ruin the electronics by inserting the batteries the wrong way. So my one and only question, does the positive terminal face the removable screw plug or do they face down into the well of the battery compartment? Thanks ahead.
Need some help. I just picked up the above light ... (show quote)


Read some of this as there might be other batteries you can also use.

I also found the attached image that shows battery position. This is this pdf



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Nov 19, 2021 10:39:34   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
BobHartung wrote:
Read some of this as there might be other batteries you can also use.

I also found the attached image that shows battery position. This is this pdf


Yep! Positive terminal is up, towards the lid, just like in my old Nikon FTn finder.

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Nov 19, 2021 11:32:17   #
TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC
 
Gene51 wrote:
Not the Wein MRB625 if this is what he got:

https://weinproducts.com/news/entry/istherefinallyareplacementformercurycellsitlooksthatwaybutitsuretooksomedoing

You'll see that the anode - smaller diameter - is on top. Anode is always negative. Cathode, on the bottom, is always positive.


Off topic a bit, but it’s interesting (at least to me) that when a battery is discharging, the anode is the negative terminal, but when a rechargeable battery is being charged, the anode is the positive terminal. Also on vacuum tubes, the anode is positive and the cathode is negative - it’s all about the direction of electron flow.

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Nov 19, 2021 11:50:17   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
Gene, your first suggestion isn't really a great one. That adapter merely allows the use of a smaller 1.5V battery to fit the physical configuration of the meter. The better suggestion was your MR-9 adapter. That adapter has a voltage regulator which drops the 1.5V to 1.35V needed by the meter.

I use the MR-9 adapter in my Nikon F, and Weston Ranger IX meter. They adapt the 386 battery and work spectacularly well.
--Bob

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Nov 19, 2021 11:51:08   #
therwol Loc: USA
 
burkphoto wrote:
The main issue seems to be with devices manufactured without voltage regulation devices in them. They need adapters to work properly with alkaline cells in bright light.


Devices that used mercury batteries, such as your/my Nikon FTn and light meters of the same vintage, did not need voltage regulators in them. Mercury batteries have a flat discharge curve. The voltage remains nearly constant right up until the battery fails. There are alkaline batteries of the same size as these older mercury batteries, but their discharge curve is not flat. The voltage of alkaline batteries drops gradually over time, leading to inaccuracies in metering. Cameras such as my Nikkormat FT-3 began having voltage regulators in them so that it didn't matter what kind of battery you put in them. In the present day, the batteries with a relatively flat discharge curve are silver oxide. You can use these with one of the adaptors mentioned in this thread in older equipment with good results. You have to make sure that the adaptor you buy drops the voltage to 1.35 volts.

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Nov 19, 2021 12:37:07   #
Greg from Romeoville illinois Loc: Romeoville illinois
 
copladocus wrote:
Need some help.


This is according to Gossen on their website....

https://gossen-photo.de/en/ersatz-fuer-quecksilberoxid-batterie-v625px/

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Nov 19, 2021 13:50:49   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
therwol wrote:
Devices that used mercury batteries, such as your/my Nikon FTn and light meters of the same vintage, did not need voltage regulators in them. Mercury batteries have a flat discharge curve. The voltage remains nearly constant right up until the battery fails. There are alkaline batteries of the same size as these older mercury batteries, but their discharge curve is not flat. The voltage of alkaline batteries drops gradually over time, leading to inaccuracies in metering. Cameras such as my Nikkormat FT-3 began having voltage regulators in them so that it didn't matter what kind of battery you put in them. In the present day, the batteries with a relatively flat discharge curve are silver oxide. You can use these with one of the adaptors mentioned in this thread in older equipment with good results. You have to make sure that the adaptor you buy drops the voltage to 1.35 volts.
Devices that used mercury batteries, such as your/... (show quote)


Yep. True on all counts. You could say the Mercury batteries were the voltage regulator. At least there are some modern workarounds.

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Nov 19, 2021 14:53:39   #
LARRY MBA Loc: RENO NEVADA
 
copladocus wrote:
Need some help. I just picked up the above light meter in a box of camera equipment at one of our auctions. It looks like it is in great condition. I found 1.35 volt batteries at B&H and they will fit. However, looking at the diagram for inserting the batteries it does not indicate which side is the positive side. The new batteries are not exactly the same profile as the originals depicted in the diagram. I have searched the internet and even downloaded and READ the Gossen manual and nowhere does it tell me, literally, which side is up. As this is a fine instrument I don't want to potentially ruin the electronics by inserting the batteries the wrong way. So my one and only question, does the positive terminal face the removable screw plug or do they face down into the well of the battery compartment? Thanks ahead.
Need some help. I just picked up the above light ... (show quote)


The + goes up on my Gossen Pro which goes against the screw in plug. The battery is a 357

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Nov 19, 2021 15:07:01   #
StanMac Loc: Tennessee
 
copladocus wrote:
Thanks pros for all the responses. Let me clarify my issue. The batteries are clearly marked, so no issue there. I need to know if the positive terminal is on the bottom of the well or on the metal plug that screws into the body. Thanks.


In the Gossen Luna-Six the positive terminal faces up, therefore the contact in the bottom of the battery compartment is the negative terminal.

Stan

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Nov 19, 2021 15:18:30   #
Aldla Loc: Central NJ
 
Was able to get replacement battery for my luna pro at Adorama

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Nov 19, 2021 18:20:22   #
copladocus
 
burkphoto wrote:
I was a bit puzzled, at first. My Gossen Luna Pro SBC uses a 9-Volt "transistor radio" battery such as an MN 1604 or IEC 6F 22 or 6LR61 or 006P. Other industry names for the 9V battery can be A1604, 522, 4922, MX2400, MX 1604, or 1604A! I used Gossen Luna Pro F meters years ago. They also use those same 9-Volt batteries.

Apparently, all the CDS cell meters use button cells. The usual orientation of button cells is positive (+) side up towards the lid of the battery compartment. Most button cell battery compartments are marked with a + on the inside of the lid.

I did find this site, which may have some relevant answers. https://gossen-photo.de/en/ersatz-fuer-quecksilberoxid-batterie-v625px/

The main issue seems to be with devices manufactured without voltage regulation devices in them. They need adapters to work properly with alkaline cells in bright light.
I was a bit puzzled, at first. My Gossen Luna Pro ... (show quote)


DING, DING, DING, DING, DING, Burk gets the prize for actually answering the OP's original question in unambiguous terms. Positive terminal on the battery faces the metal plug! Thank you for your response. And, thanks to everyone else for providing additional info concerning substitute batteries. I am sure the Wein MRB625 batteries I got from B&H will poop out sooner rather than later and I will be seeking a more long-lived replacement -- if the convertors are still available somewhere... Thanks hogs.

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Nov 19, 2021 18:21:41   #
copladocus
 
StanMac wrote:
In the Gossen Luna-Six the positive terminal faces up, therefore the contact in the bottom of the battery compartment is the negative terminal.

Stan


and you too get the prize for the best response. Thank you for your clarity.

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